


The Hard Times

by AnneCumberbatch



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: First Kiss, Guy Fawkes Day, Love Confessions, M/M, Not Beta Read, November 5th, Post-Season/Series 04, Short One Shot, Somewhat Cliche, ridiculous fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-05
Updated: 2020-11-05
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:01:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27405460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnneCumberbatch/pseuds/AnneCumberbatch
Summary: A year and a half after the events of Season 4, John, Sherlock, and Rosie are settled into Baker Street. On the night of November 5th, they take a moment to remember the hard times and start better times.Or, John is tired of waiting for Sherlock to kiss him, so he kisses him.
Relationships: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson
Comments: 22
Kudos: 130





	The Hard Times

John stood at the window, looking out into Baker Street. His arms were folded tightly, pressing tensely against his chest. His face was drawn and intense as he gazed resolutely outside.

Sherlock paused in the doorway, watching him. He had just come downstairs from putting Rosie to bed. It had been a year since John moved in with him and he was enjoying their building domesticity and his developing role in Rosie's life. The tension emanating from John was palpable on his tongue and he found he couldn't look away from the stoic figure in the window but was unable to make a move towards him.

After a moment, John glanced backwards and saw him standing there. He tilted his head slightly in invitation and Sherlock felt his feet treading over the wood and carpet towards his... John. He stood next to him and peered out into the empty street. He saw nothing that could have captured John's attention so. He glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. John was so tense, his pulse was visible, throbbing on his neck. Sherlock wished he could feel it with his lips, apply gentle pressure, ease it back to a calm heart rate, feel the tension in John's stance ease. "Are you alright?"

John's eyes flickered over to him and then back to the street. " It's November 5th."

Sherlock shrugged. "So?"

John was quiet for a few moments. "This is around when it started. The Hard Times."

"Ah." Sherlock fell silent, suddenly feeling out of place besides him. "The hard times" was what they had dubbed the expanse of time between Sherlock's return and their joint return from Musgrave Hall. A long expanse of time full of complications and misery and hurt. It had been around a year and a half since The Hard Times had ended and they had both, all including Rosie, had found great joy in leaving those times far behind through the use of therapy, better communication, and long evenings of companionship. They were in a better place. A much better place. And Sherlock tried very hard to think about those times as little as he could, much preferring to focus on the present. The present was continually turning out to be one of the best times of his life. He could not remember the last time he had encountered such happiness as he did in the company of John and Rosie at home in Baker Street. Their therapists had warned them there would be days harder than others. Why John had landed upon this day as a hard day, he couldn't think.

Suddenly, out in the air, he heard a shout and a slew of fireworks went off. Both men jumped, startled by the loud noise and with startling clarity, the events surrounding November 5th came rushing back into Sherlock's mind. Mary, the bonfire, the train car, John. He reeled back with an audible gasp as the memories rushed back. "Perhaps next year we should visit the country."

John looked at him, eyebrow raised. "Why?"

"This is unnecessary to experience." Sherlock waved his hand at the window as another slew of fireworks crackled into the night.

"We can't run away from it."

"I'm not running away, I'm avoiding it."

"Can't avoid everything."

"You're being difficult."

John shrugged. "It's important to be able to keep going. The fireworks startled me, but I was just thinking. I wasn't..."

"As affected as I clearly am." Sherlock removed his hand from John's arm and folded his arms.

"I wasn't saying that. Was just saying... I'm here. We can get through this together. We're not living through those times again; things are a lot different now."

"I like how things are." Sherlock relaxed somewhat.

"So do I." John looked at him and unfolded his arms, reaching out and placing his hand on Sherlock's shoulder giving it a squeeze. "This is good. Us all together."

Sherlock nodded, feeling the warmth of John's palm spread out across his shoulder.

"I don't want to keep running away."

Sherlock's forehead crinkled. "From what?"

John stepped in closer until they were nose to nose. "From this."

Sherlock's breath caught in his throat at John's close proximity. His blue eyes were so close, looking calmly into his. He could feel the soft heat of John's breath across his chin. "I didn't think we were running away from it."

A smile twitched in the corner of John's mouth. "What did you think we were doing?"

Sherlock swallowed. "Waiting. Until the time was right?"

"When will the time be right?" John's fingers ran down Sherlock's arm and back up again to rest on his shoulder.

"Soon. I hope." Sherlock whispered the words.

"Now?" John tilted towards him.

Sherlock nodded and his eyes fluttered shut as John closed the distance and pressed their lips together. Warm. Soft. Love. Emotion churned in Sherlock's chest and rose up into his throat. He grabbed onto John's shirt and pulled him close, trying to pull him as close as physically possible. Closer. As if they could morph into one being through osmosis. 

John pulled back, gasping for breath. He ran a hand behind Sherlock's head and pulled so their foreheads rested against each other. "I love you."

Sherlock gasped for breath, emotion choking his speech. "Do you?"

"God help me, I do." John kissed him again. "I do."

"I love you." Sherlock gasped softly. "I love you." Their lips met again and again in soft sweet presses.

"I know you do. I know." John murmured between them.

Behind them, another slew of fireworks crackled into the dark night air, forgotten. Unimportant in the start of their next phase of life, something they would later dub, The Happy Time. The time that would last them for the rest of their lives.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Comments and questions are always welcome. (:


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